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Seeing Stars with James Wooten: the Comet ISON & the end of Daylight Saving Time

In November, Venus remains in the west at dusk. It outshines everything but the Sun and Moon, so you can begin observing it during deep twilight.

Jupiter is high in the morning sky this month. Look for it high in the west at dawn.

You can also look for Jupiter in the late evening sky in the east. It rises by 11:10 p.m. on November 1, and by 8:10 p.m. on November 30.

Mars, much dimmer than Jupiter, now pulls away from it in the morning sky. It now brightens a bit in the east at dawn.

Saturn is behind the Sun (at conjunction) on November 6, and thus out of sight most of the month. By Thanksgiving, you can try finding it low in the southeast at dawn.

This star map shows the Houston sky at 10 p.m. CDT on November 1, 8 p.m. CST on November 15, and 7 p.m. on November 30. To use the map, put the direction you are facing at the bottom. The Summer Triangle is high in the west. This consists of the brightest stars in Cygnus, Lyra, and Aquila. The ‘teapot’ of Sagittarius sets in the southwest, with Venus to its right. Pegasus, the Flying Horse, is high in the east. To the south and east, we see a vast dim area of stars known as the “Celestial Sea,” where only Fomalhaut stands out.

This month, the Big Dipper is to the lower left of the North Star at dusk, and soon sets. As a result, it may be hard to see if you have trees or buildings north of you. As the Big Dipper sets, though, Cassiopeia rises. This is a pattern of five stars in a distinct W shape which lies directly across the North Star from the Big Dipper. Look for Cassiopeia high in the north on fall and winter evenings.

Perhaps the most significant sight in our skies this month will be Comet ISON. That’s perhaps because ISON has never been in the inner solar system before and will never come back, so astronomers are unsure how it will behave.

There is some optimism, however, that ISON will brighten enough to be visible to the naked eye as it approaches the Sun this Thanksgiving Day. On Thanksgiving, when ISON is at its brightest, it will be too close to the Sun to observe. But you might notice it low in the southeast at dawn in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving Day. You’ll be looking for a dim, diffuse object, so you’ll want to pick a site far from city lights and a morning with little or no moonlight. ISON passes close to the Star Spica on November 17.

Sunday, November 3, is the first Sunday of the month. Accordingly, Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. that morning. (At 2 a.m., the time reverts to 1 a.m., such that the 1 a.m. hour happens twice). Remember to set all clocks back one hour on Saturday night, November 2, and enjoy your extra hour of sleep!

On most clear Saturday nights at the George Observatory, you can hear me do live star tours on the observation deck with a green laser pointer. If you’re there, listen for my announcement.